


Makeup and Making Up

by Fallen_Ark_Angel



Series: Remember Me [14]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-20 10:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3646467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallen_Ark_Angel/pseuds/Fallen_Ark_Angel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes when you have kids, you have to make sacrifices. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. And sometimes...sometimes you have to get your nails painted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Makeup and Making Up

"Daddy!"

Grunt. Laxus only closed the front door behind him as he headed into the house. Marin rushed to hug him, but her father, not being in the mood, took to patting her on the head before heading to the couch.

"Hi, Laxus," Mira greeted from where she had been seated on the floor of the living room, apparently playing some sort of game with their youngest daughter. At her father's divergence, the child just went back over to her mother, to resume whatever it was they were doing. "Fun day at work?"

Another grunt. If he wasn't in the mood for the kid, the last thing he was prepared for was the demon.

"Boy, if your grandfather could only see it," Mira remarked.

"See what?" came his grumbled reply.

"How much you actually hate being guild master after throwing a fit over it for years."

"I don't hate it," he told her, no play in his tone. "I just don't like all the inner workings of it."

"You sure like the bossing people around part though."

Grunt. Then, "Haven! Get in here. After I rest, we're going to go train-"

"She's not here, Laxus."

"What?" He frowned at that, glancing around. "Who has her? Elfman? Or Lisanna?"

"Neither," Mira said. "She and Navi are having a sleepover tonight."

He blinked. Navi. "I told you that I didn't want her around Natsu's brat so much. Or his damn cat, who I'm sure will be there."

"You sure are grouchy today. Isn't Daddy grouchy, Marin?"

The four year old nodded, glancing over at her father. "Yes."

"I ain't grouchy," he grumbled. "And how come if Haven got to go, Marin didn't?"

"She wasn't invited."

Growl. "And why not?"

"Laxus, Haven's older than Marin. Sometimes she gets to go out and do things by herself," Mirajane said as she and the child in question went back to playing with the toys spread across the floor. "You understand that, don't you, Marin?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I don't wanna go."

"You don't?" Laxus relaxed again. "Well, you wanna go somewhere else then? To see one of your aunts or something? Ever and Lisanna are both in town and I-"

"Laxus," Mira cut him off which, for the record, wasn't something he enjoyed. "I thought that with Marin staying home today and you coming home early that you two could spend some time together."

"Mmmm…no."

"Laxus."

"What?"

Mira huffed. "I'm going to work in the next thirty minutes. You two are going to be here alone. Something you never are."

"And?"

"You never spend any alone time with her, Laxus. And now you have the chance. So why don't you-"

"Because, Mirajane, I just dealt with all this bull up at the guild and I just want to rest. I don't want to-"

"You'd take the time out to train with Haven."

"Yeah, Mira, train. But not play with some damn toys that she's just as well playing by herself."

"Stop cursing."

"You-"

Marin started up with the tears then. Not so much their words, as those really meant nothing to her, but rather she didn't enjoy their tones. At all. They bothered her. She never liked to hear people argue. It upset her greatly.

"Oh, Marin," Mira sighed as Laxus only groaned.

"You're fine," he told her. "Stop it. Come here."

Mira was reaching out for her, but at her father's beckoning, the child rushed over to him.

"Stop crying." He turned his head when she was there, standing next to the couch, so that he could kiss hers. "You're fine."

She sniffled. "Sorry."

"You're okay." One more kiss. Then he shooed her away. "Daddy's napping. So keep quiet, alright?"

Marin nodded before rushing back over to Mirajane who only shot Laxus a look, letting her child move to climb into her lap.

"Come on, Marin," she said, getting to her feet. "Let's clean up your toys and go play in your room, huh? Then I have to get ready for work."

"Okay." All was better then and the girl was happy to help her mother. Laxus was just glad they were getting gone. He wanted some peace and quiet.

Which he got. For a little while anyhow. About an hour later, Mira was shoving his shoulder gently.

"What?" he groaned.

"I'm leaving. Marin's playing with her toys in her bedroom. I'd really appreciate it, Laxus, if you at least-"

"I know how to deal with my own kid, alright? Stop trying to tell me what to do. It's not working."

"Just behave today, Laxus. She's already upset. And you have to feed her dinner."

"Stop telling me about my kid. I can care for her. She's mine too. You're acting really high and mighty today."

"I'm disappointed in you is what I am."

"What did I do?"

"Gee, Laxus, maybe tell Marin the other day that you like Haven better?"

"When did I-"

"I don't know," Mira said. "But that's what she told me today when we were playing."

"I never said that. Why would I tell her that?"

"I don't know, Laxus, but you better fix it."

"Fix what? I didn't say it!"

"But you know that it's true."

"It is not."

"Laxus-"

"It's not."

"You spend way more time with-"

"And you spend more time with Marin!"

"Because Haven's always in trouble."

"And whose fault is that, Mira?"

"Gee, maybe her father who gives into her every whim?"

Snort. Then, "I don't give into her every-"

"Laxus."

"Well...I don't treat Marin any different. So-"

"Laxus."

"Stop saying my name," he complained. "And go to work! Seriously, I-"

"Both your daughters deserve your attention, Laxus."

He knew that the only way to get her out of there was to let her have the last word, so he kept his mouth shut then, just glaring at her. It only took a minute before she was gone.

Good riddance.

Trying to tell him his business. Like he didn't know how to deal with his kids. He'd only been raising them, oh,  _their entire lives._

But…he couldn't get back to sleep after she left. He tried, he really did, but he jut couldn't get comfortable.

With a groan, he got to his feet.

"Damn it, demon," he grumbled, headed immediately down the hall and to the room that his daughters shared.

"Marin," he announced as he pushed the cracked door open fully. "What are you doing?"

She was seated in the center of the room, between her and Haven's beds, with some of her toys spread across the floor. When he entered though, she glanced over at him and grinned.

"I'm playin'."

"You are?" He came further into the room. Then, because he figured he wouldn't be able to rest until he got it over with, he said, "Can I play?"

Marin didn't even need to think about it. Only nodded ecstatically, happy to have a playmate.

"What are you playing?" he went to slowly sit down in front of her, the little girl pushing some of the toys out of his way to accommodate him. "Marin?"

"Mmmm…a game."

"I know that, silly."

She began picking up certain toys then. Two of them. "This is the mommy and this is the sis'er." She grabbed another, smaller one. "And this is the baby."

"Uh-huh."

"And…this is their dog."

"Dog, huh?"

She nodded. "They're at the store."

"Oh." Man, his kid sure was boring. Glancing around at some of the other toys, Laxus easily picked out the action figure of him that he had given Haven from the souvenir shop, back when she was a little kid. Mira always called him conceited for it, but hey. Reaching out to pick it up, Laxus said, "Why don't I get to go to the store? Ain't I the daddy?"

Marin only stared at him for a minute before shaking her head and reaching out to take the figurine of him from his hands. Then she sat it to the side.

"You're not there."

"Of course I am."

"No."

"Then where am I?"

"Workin'."

He blinked. "Well, I got off. So I wanna go to the store with you guys."

"Daddy," she complained. "You don't play right."

"How am I not playing right? These stupid toys are supposed to be us, right?"

"No."

"Yes, they are. Except the dog, but-"

"No."

"Fine," he said. "Then this dad still got off and still wants to go to the dang store. What's wrong with that?"

Marin shook her head, taking it from his hands when he tried to pick it up again. "He's sleepin'."

"What? I just said he got off work-"

"Then he went home and went to sleep."

"Marin-"

"You're not playin' right!"

"Okay, okay." He gave up then. "Which doll do you want me to be?"

So he got stuck being all these stupid dolls, like the shop keepers and stuff. Even the family, that's supposedly not theirs, had some dang relatives show up at one point. Aunts and uncles.

But did Laxus' doll get to play?

No.

Eventually, the dolls went home.

"You can be the dog," Marin offered him.

"Well, they're home. I get to be the dad now, right?"

"Mmmm…no."

"No?"

"He's still sleepin'."

"But he woke up and-"

"Okay." Marin giggled then, moving to pick up what she kept referring to as the sis'er doll before taking the Laxus toy from his hands when he picked it up. Then she sat them off to the side by themselves without saying anything about it. "Now Mommy has to make dinner. The baby helps. And the dog."

"But…Marin," he said slowly. "What am I doing?"

"You're dog," she told him, tilting her head slightly at the question. "Daddy."

"No, Marin," he sighed. "I meant my doll and the…sister doll. What are they doing? Why can't they help make dinner?"

"Oh." She giggled before going back to making the mother doll move around. "I dunno."

"What do you mean you don't know? You're the one that made them go off by themselves."

She shrugged. "They like it."

"Marin…" Ugh. "Well, they want to come help make dinner, so-"

"No."

"Why not?"

She only glared at him. "You're playin' bad!"

"Marin-"

"Stop it."

"No. I get a say in things too, don't I? I want the dad to- Marin, don't start crying."

She was still glaring at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't wanna play with you no more."

"Well, I want to play with you, but you're-"

"Go away! Go take a nap."

"Marin-"

"Leave me alone!"

"Don't talk to me like that," he told her, perhaps a tad too harsh. "I'm your father. And… I don't like Haven more than you, alright?"

She was sniffling. "I wanna play."

"Marin, stop making me feel bad," he grumbled, looking off. "Look, your mom told me, okay? About how you think that I don't like you as much? When did I say that?"

She just stared at him then. "I dunno."

"Well, why did you tell Mira that?"

"I dunno."

"Marin-"

"I wanna play, Daddy."

"I just want you to get it, okay, kid? I love you. So much. And yeah, sometimes I might spend time with Haven, but that's because I'm teaching her magic. And when you get older, if you wanna learn, then I'll spend time with you." When she wouldn't say anything after that, he sighed. "Come sit in Daddy's lap."

She didn't want to, he could tell, but she knew better than to defy him. Dropping the toys n her hands, she moved over to him before getting into his lap.

She was starting to get too old for it. Like Haven. He didn't want that.

"Sometimes it might seem like I like Haven better. Or that I'm favoring her. And maybe I am. But I don't mean to. You're my baby. You know that."

Leaning back against him, Marin didn't say anything. With a sigh, Laxus leaned down to kiss her head.

"I love you, Marin. And we do things alone together. Like…right now! Or when you're sick and you come sleep in bed with me. Or…well… I'm busy, okay? A lot. And I don't mean to put being with you on the backburner, I honestly didn't think I was, but if you feel like I am, then we'll spend more time together, okay? Doing stuff that you like. Without Haven. Okay?"

"Like what?"

"Uh… I dunno. What do you wanna do, kid? You wanna go get some ice cream? Huh? I know you like that. You-"

"I wanna paint nails."

He blinked. Then he frowned. "Oh. Well-"

"Gotta clean up." She shoved her way out of his lap before going to her toys and beginning to put them back in their toy box. "Come on, Daddy."

Sigh. So he had to clean up too, huh?

It took a minute or two to get all the toys back in their proper place. Then Marin went over to the nightstand next to her bed. One of the drawers housed all of Mirajane's old makeup and nail polish, which, instead of throwing away, she'd give to her daughters to play with.

Not that Haven liked it though. She called it stupid.

Marin was all over it though. Sometimes Mirajane would do it all for her. Marin thought it made her pretty.

"Here." She came back with a couple of bottles of nail polish, all different colors. Handing them to him, she sat down.

"Oh." He blinked. "You want me to…to paint your nails? Wow. Okay. Daddy's not very good at this though, so-"

"You don't wanna play?"

He blinked. Then he sighed. He had told her that they would do whatever she wanted. "I do. Just don't get mad at me if these don't turn out right, huh?"

So he went to work on getting the little girl's fingernails painted. While he went to work on them, she told him all about what she had done the previous day when Lisanna and Bickslow had babysat her.

"You really like your aunts and uncles, huh?"

"Yep." Marin nodded her head. "I love 'em."

"You do?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Who else do you love?"

"Mmmm…Mommy."

"And?"

"Haven."

He blinked. Now, he loved Haven too. She was his kid. But… He came behind Haven on Marin's list of people? Seriously? The girl tormented her most of the time!

"And?"

"Mmmm…Natsu and Lucy. And Freed. And-"

"Me, Marin," he told her. "Don't you love me?"

She giggled. "Daddy-"

"Well, don't you?"

"Yes," she told him. "I love you."

"I love you too."

When he finished painting her nails, they had to let them dry some, in which time, Marin expressed to him her desire to have a pet.

"I don't like animals, baby."

"But-"

"I just don't," he told her finally. "I'm sorry."

That was quickly pushed out of her mind though as the second her colorful nails were dry, she presented him with the next item on their list of things to do.

"What? Marin, no."

"Yes, Daddy."

"No. I'm not…a girl. I'm a boy. Boys don't-"

"Daddy!"

"Marin, I'm not painting my nails. I'm sorry."

"Please?"

"I'm a boy. A man. Men don't-"

"Daddy," she whined, staring at him. "Please?"

"Well…is there a way to get it off?" he asked her then. "Before tomorrow? When I have to go to work?"

"Mmmm…yes."

"Marin," he said. "Is there?"

"Uh-huh. Polish 'mover."

"Polish remover, huh? You think Mira has some of that?" Probably. "Alright then. You can paint my nails.  _But_  it comes off before I go into the guild tomorrow. Deal?"

"Deal," she giggled.

"Do I get to pick my color?"

"No, Daddy. Each one's a color."

He only sighed before holding out one of his hands to her. "Do your worst."

* * *

It was dark in the house when Mirajane got home. The first place she went was her daughter's bedroom, to make sure that she was fine and asleep. Glad to find her actually in her own bed for once, Mira only went to press a kiss to the child's head before heading to her own bedroom.

Laxus was asleep.

Sigh.

Coming closer to the bed, she undressed slowly before slipping into the sheets.

"You're home late."

"Mmmm. I thought you were sleeping?"

"Nope."

Mira shifted closer to him. "Are we still fighting?"

"I dunno." He only laid there on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "Are we?"

"I don't want to be."

"Then we're not."

Taking that as a good sign, Mira moved to lay on his chest, head tilted up to stare at his face in the darkness. "You know, we should have sent Marin to Ever and Elfman's or something. Given ourselves a chance to really be alone."

He chuckled softly, reaching up with one hand stroke her cheek. "Trust me, demon, I-"

"What is this?" She grabbed his hand. It was dark, fine, but there was moonlight coming through the window and his nails looked… "Laxus, are your fingernails-"

"No." He jerked his hand away from her. "I-"

"Yes, they are." Mira was scrambling across him then, over to the lamp sitting on the bedside, to turn it on.

"Aw! Demon! Too bright!"

"What- Oh, Laxus." Mira had moved to straddle him then, grabbing one of his hands in her own. "Your nails are all painted. Did you and Marin-"

"Things occurred," he said, shaking his hand free. "Bad things. The kid promised me that there was some nail polish remover, but we couldn't find it."

"I don't have any," she told him with a giggle. "I don't paint my nails that often anymore. Besides, Laxus, why would you paint them only to have to spend forever and a day scrubbing at them to get them off?"

"Uh, because I love my daughter? Something that you seem to not get?"

Mira was in full annoying mode then. Ugh. He just wanted to go to sleep then. Forget the sex.

Man, if those dang kids hadn't fucked up his life. He couldn't recall another time, before them, that he would think that.

"She wanted to paint your nails? That's so cute!"

"Mira, be quiet before you wake her. And go to sleep. You have to get up early in the morning and go find me some remover."

She was still mewling though and ignored that. "Thank you, Laxus, for-"

"Don't thank me for spending time with  _my_ daughter," he told her. "I didn't do it for you. I did it because I love her. It has nothing to do with you. Got it?"

"Don't try to act all gruff now, Mr. Nail Polish."

"Mira-"

"Oh, Laxus." She was moving then to grab his cheeks in her hands. "I just love you so much. Especially when you do something sweet like this."

Huh. Maybe those kids were onto something.

"I also let her do my makeup," he was quick to add, scrambling to sit up some. "I just washed it off. And…and we made dinner together! And-"

"Aw." Mirajane rested her forehead against his. "You're such a good father."

Hell yeah he was.

Did it ever need to be disputed?

* * *

"-know why I have to listen to this," the little boy complained. "Why do I care what you and Navi did at your sleepover?"

"Because, Locke," Haven told him. "We're talking what we did yesterday."

"But I don't care," he insisted. "At all."

"You're just mad that you didn't get invited."

"Na-ah," he said, shaking his head. "I don't care."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not," he said. "Me and Dad and Pantherlily hung out together all day, since Mom's out on a job. We went fishing and-"

"I don't care," Haven told him.

"Oh, gee, you mean like how I don't care about what you did?"

There they all were, gathered around a table in the guildhall. Navi was sitting quietly, listening to her friends both bicker. Her mother always told her just to stay out of it when they fought.

"Laxus and Gajeel can't get along either," Lucy would sigh. "That's where they get it."

"But I get along with everyone," Natsu was always quick to add though Lucy would only shake her head at that.

"Aye, sir," Happy would agree because, well, duh.

Navi really liked her parents and Happy.

At the moment though, her father and mother were over at the request board, seeing if there was any quick job they wanted to take, while she was stuck with Haven and Locke.

Sigh.

They were still stuck in their heated battle, taking to glaring at one another, when the Master showed up, his youngest daughter in tow.

"Hi," Navi called out as Marin rushed over to the table.

"Hi," the younger girl giggled, scrambling into a seat. Locke greeted her as well, but Haven wasn't feeling up to it in that moment.

"Hey, brat," Laxus grumbled to Haven as he passed the table, reaching out to pat her on the head. Haven usually would have rejected this and call him old or something, but the feeling of his hand on her blonde head was…different. Not right.

"Laxus." She reached up to grab his hand before he could pass. "How come you're wearing gloves?"

"Hey, let go." He tugged at his hand. "And how come I can't wear gloves?"

"It's not winter," his daughter said. "So it's stupid. Take them off."

"Stop telling me what to do, brat," he said, jerking his hand away from her.

"I'm not a brat!" Turning her rage at Locke, who had taken to listening to Navi explain what she and Haven had done that night (he was much more willing to listen when the words weren't coming out of the blonde's mouth), onto her father, Haven reached back out to snatch his hand again before pulling the gloves off.

"Haven," he growled. "Why did you-"

"What is this on your nails?" Haven frowned before staring up at her father. "Did you paint your nails, Laxus?"

"No! I-"

"I did," Marin giggled as both Navi and Locke took a look as well. "Now Daddy's pretty!"

"Ew." Haven handed over the gloves. "Put it back on."

He only gave her a look. "I don't need your permission, brat."

"And how come I was never allowed to paint your nails?' Haven went on.

"You never asked!"

"Because it's stupid."

"Well, there's your answer."

"Wow, Master," Navi giggled. "Your nails as nice. Good job, Marin."

"Thank you."

Locke reached up to scratch at his unruly black locks. "You paint your nails now, Master?"

"I just said-" Then he growled. "I don't have to explain myself to you kids!"

Haven shook her head. "I bet Gajeel and Natsu wouldn't paint their nails."

"Who would want them to?" Locke asked.

Navi though, with the idea planted in her head, immediately jumped down to go ask her father if she could paint his.

Marin was still all giggles. "I think Daddy looks nice."

"Well, he doesn't," Haven told her. "You messed up again. Surprise, surprise."

"Haven, behave," Mira sighed as she came over from the bar, passing them with the beer she was bringing to Bickslow and Lisanna's table.

"I paint my nails, boss," Bickslow told him. "Err, I used to. When I was younger. And going through a phase."

Lisanna giggled. "Maybe Laxus is having a midlife crisis."

"I'm not at the middle of my life!" he growled. "I-"

"Daddy." Marin was frowning then. His tone didn't sound as perky about the whole thing the night before. He had told her that she was so good at painting nails and putting on makeup. "I thought you liked them?"

"Kid," he groaned, reading her tone. "I-"

"My daddy said when we get home tonight, I can paint his nails!" Navi was back, rushing over to the table with a giggle. "He said I can paint his toenails too! He said that he wants them to be red and blue."

Laxus snort. Damn Salamander.

"Well…if everyone else is doin' it, maybe my dad would like it," Locke said, glancing over at where the man was seated with Lily as they awaited the return of Team Shadowgear. "But I don't wanna paint them for him. Maybe Mom can."

Haven only shook her head. "You're stupid, Laxus."

Growling, he went ahead and took the gloves off. "You be quiet. And Marin… It's like I told you. Boys don't wear nail polish."

"My daddy does," Navi announced with a giggle. "I should have asked him a long time ago."

Laxus rolled his eyes at that before turning to walk away, over to a table off by himself. "Mira, I need a beer."

"Of course, Laxus."

Bickslow was snickering then as he took a sip of his own beer. "The boss sure his funny, eh, Lissy?"

"Mmmm." She shook her head before glancing at Marin. "You did a real nice job on them."

"Thank you."

Haven snorted as Bickslow's dolls took that as meaning they could come over and bother the kids. Or, well, mostly just Marin.

"Real nice job," they all told her. "Marin."

It was about then that the guildhall doors opened and Evergreen came rushing in, immediately headed for Laxus' table.

"I have the nail polish remover you wanted," she said as she approached him, setting a bottle down on the table. "But why- Oh, Laxus."

"Give me that," he grumbled. "And demon! Bring me a paper towel."

Elfman, who had come in with his girlfriend, approached the table as well. "You painted your nails? I mean, I never took you as a man, but this-"

"Fuck off, Elfboy," Laxus grumbled. "And Ever, get this paint off my nails. Now."

"You want me to-"

"Are you ignoring an order?"

"N-No!" She quickly took a seat next to him as Mira appeared with his beer and a towel. "Of course not."

Elfman, dejected and disgusted, headed over to the table his younger sister was at. "What's up with Laxus' nails? Why would he do something so unmanly?"

"Hi, Elf," Lisanna greeted with a giggle. "And Marin painted them for him. Didn't it look so good?"

"W-Well-"

"Elf," Marin called from the table next to them. "Daddy's taking off the polish!"

"I know. Because men don't-"

"Can I paint your nails?"

"Marin," Haven scolded as Locke snickered. "Elfman doesn't-"

"Well, kid," he said slowly. "I'm not-"

"You can paint mine!" Bickslow was quick to interject. Then he stuck his tongue out at Elfman. "You know, since I'm your favorite uncle."

Oh, it was a competition was it? Lisanna giggled at the look on her brother's face.

"You can paint mine too then!" he declared loudly. "You too, Haven!"

"No thanks," she quickly declined.

"I'll paint 'em," Navi told him with a grin. "But we don't have any nail polish."

"Go ask Ever," Lisanna told them with a slight smile. "She might have some in her purse or something."

The two little girls rushed off to do that, leaving Locke and Haven alone. She only shook her head.

"Little kids are so stupid," she said though, honestly, there weren't that many years separating her and her sister, even less between her and Navi. Locke, older than even her, only shrugged.

"I think it's funny."

"That's because you're stupid."

"I think you're just jealous," he told her.

"Of what?"

"Of Master letting Marin-"

"Ew, gross. Like I even want to come close to him to begin with, much less have to paint his nails."

"Your mad that your sister had more fun with your dad while you were with Navi than he would have had with you."

"Shut up!"

"And then Navi is going to have fun with her dad tonight, when she gets to paint his nails," Locke went on. "And I have fun with my dad every night because he's awesome. But you? You're not-"

She tried to shove Locke out of his seat, but he was starting to get too heavy for her. Then, with a huff, she only left the table and marched over to the one her father was at, Ever, after handing off her purse to rifle through to Navi and Marin, still scrubbing away at his nails.

"Laxus," she said, standing at his side. He hardly glanced at her.

"Brat, if you're about to tell me something stupid-"

"I wanna paint your nails."

He blinked. Then he frowned. "Do you not see what we're doing right now?"

"I know. You need to get all of Marin's stupid paint off so that I can paint them."

Ever giggled. "Aw, Haven, are you jealous?"

"Gross. No."

"Why would she be?" Laxus grumbled. "Huh? Haven doesn't like this stupid girly stuff, do you, brat?"

"N-No," she said quickly. "But-"

"She's just trying to make me do something I don't like, thinking she can guilt me into painting my nails again. But you can't. So buzz off."

Haven only stood there then. So what? Marin got to do something that she didn't? That wasn't fair! That-

"And brat," he grumbled as she turned to walk off, defeated. "You skipped practice yesterday. I cam home ready to train. And where were you?"

"Mom said I could spend the night at-"

"And? Just for that, when I finish up here today, we're going to go home and you're gonna train your little ass off. Got it?"

"No cursing."

Grunt.

But she smiling then as she made it back to Locke. And even though she immediately set off on berating him about something or other, she couldn't wipe the grin off.

So maybe Marin got to do stupid things with Laxus, like paint his nails. Who cared?

She got all the important stuff. Like training and being, as he put it, his protégé. And what was more important than that?

To Marin, a lot of things. And as she painted Bickslow's nails, she knew that it was okay that Laxus was taking off the polish. Because of the promise he made her last night.

"From now on," he'd said as they were in the bathroom, him admiring (hating) the makeup she'd applied to his face. "You and me? We're gonna spend a lot more time together. Alright?"

"Daddy," she'd giggled.

"I'm serious, Mar," he said. "I love you. And we don't do enough stuff together. And if you wanna…put on makeup sometimes, after I finish with work, we can do that. You did such a good job, after all."

"You look pretty."

"Thanks." He patted her head. "So do you."

See? Marin didn't need training or anything like that with Laxus. Because she has her own special stuff to do with him too.

He loved her.

And what more needed to be said?


End file.
